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Political Support?

The need for more alternative fuels and greater fuel efficiency is almost universally accepted, but many argue the U.S. government is not doing enough to support these measures. In 2006, the Bush administration presented its “Advanced Energy Initiative,” which highlights the need for the United States to reduce its oil addiction and develop renewable technology, including for transportation purposes. The plan, which calls on the United States to replace 75 percent of its Middle East oil imports by 2025, was met with varying levels of praise and condemnations.

“With America on the verge of breakthroughs in advanced energy technologies, the best way to break the addiction to foreign oil is through new technology,” said a White House press release. While proponents of the White House’s initiative argue that it is a step in the right direction, critics including the National Resources Defense Council argue that it devotes too much money to long-term possibilities at the expense of immediately available solutions. “First and foremost, we need policies that mobilize the technologies we already have,” the group said. “That means raising fuel economy standards, accelerating hybrid vehicle production, and actively promoting the use of options such as cellulosic ethanol.”

In response to the Bush administration initiative, Greenpeace USA issued its own national energy plan, which calls for stricter fuel-economy standards in vehicles and increased funding for renewable energy research. “The president’s plan does not take us to an energy future based on renewable energy and does nothing to address the growing threat from global warming,” said Greenpeace.

The oil industry, too, has made pledges to recognize future energy needs, but initiatives there have been met with skepticism from many analysts and environmentalists. Major companies such as BP, Shell, and others have launched advertising campaigns branding themselves “green” and touting their commitments to developing renewable resources. Critics—and especially those in the environmental movement—argue, however, that while the companies are investing in renewables research, they are not doing so at credible levels.

After BP and Shell announced their end-of-quarter financials in July, Friends of the Earth-UK issued a statement questioning the companies’ commitments to green research. “If the proportion of BP and Shell’s investments in renewables came even close to the proportion of their advertising budget they spend bragging about them, the world would be a very different place,” said Craig Bennett, head of Friends of the Earth’s Corporate Accountability Campaign.

Despite promises to reduce the United States’ “addiction to oil,” the U.S. government continues to heavily subsidize its oil and fossil fuels industries. The Sierra Club reports that the Energy Act of 2005 provides $80 billion “in subsidies and tax loopholes to the oil and gas and other polluting energy industries.”

According to the September issue of Foreign Policy, the United States still has the cheapest gas among 21 index countries, mainly due to low government taxes.

Ultimately, it’s higher gas prices that will encourage more fuel-efficient cars and less driving and slow global warming, says the article. With the power of the oil industry lobby and lawmakers’ ever-present focus on reelection, however, courageous leadership to push such legislation has been notably absent.

Page 1 - Alternative Energy in the United States: Introduction Page 2 - A Closer Look at Transportation Page 3 - Political Support? Page 4 - Local Initiatives

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